Bankole Loses Bail Battle

Former speaker, Dimeji Bankole, will on Monday know whether he will regain temporary freedom or not as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on that day rule on his bail application.
Bankole, who appeared in his usual white attire, bowed his head in the dock praying all through the proceeding while being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged contract inflation amounting to N894 million.


When the matter came up on Friday, the court was filled to capacity with loyalists of Bankole who had come to give their solidarity.
Among them are former members of the House of Representatives and serving senators, members of his extended family and political allies from Ogun State.

Defence counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), brought an application, praying the court to admit the accused to bail on self-recognizance or in the alternative admit the accused on grounds stated in the application.
He argued that the fear that the accused would jump bail was not an issue, citing the case of Ibori v State.
According to him, jumping bail has its own consequence and that the world has become a global village where no criminal can hide.

Awomolo further submitted that paragraphs 12,13,15,21,22,23,24,27,29 and 31 of the prosecution's counter affidavit do not comply with Sections 76,87,88 and 89 of Evidence Act, adding that they were just speculations that could not stand on any evidence.
He further submitted that the deponent refused to state the name of the police officer who told him that the accused was planning to escape from the country and the circumstances surrounding it as provided for by the Evidence Act.
He added that the deponent had only succeded in speculating what he felt in his own opinion could happen, adding that it was only the court that can pronounce the accused guilty and not the deponent. He, therefore, urged the court to grant the bail application.

In his argument, prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, argued that the applicant had an onerous duty of proving his case beyond reasonable doubt, adding that there was strong prima facie case of corruption against the accused.

Source : Nigerian Tribune